The national confab resumes on Monday after a week’s break.
However, two major issues divided the delegates as they moved to adopt the rules guiding proceedings.
The issues are voting pattern and appointment of chairmen and vice chairmen of the proposed 20 Standing Committees.
While some delegates opined that in a situation where consensus cannot be reached, two-third should be adopted as majority, others argued that three-quarter would be ideal.
According to Order 6 Rules 4, any questions proposed for decision in the conference shall be determined by consensus and when this is not achievable, by a three-quarter majority of the delegates present and voting.
However, after heated debate among the delegates, it was agreed that delegates should appoint their chairmen and deputy chairmen of the committees.
The issue generated heated argument and delegates had to defer it till Tuesday as agreement could not be reached at the close of session.
Speaking on the voting pattern, renowned lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), representing the Federal Government, said the draft rules must be reviewed.
According to Ozekhome: “369 is the 3/4 of this conference is a number that is obviously humongous, elephantine and behemoth. As we go into the serious issues after adopting this rule, a lot of highly emotive, controversial issues and some demanding of primordial sentiment would prop up.
“As a Federal government delegate, I will discourse from the perspective of a nationalist but there are many delegates here who are from various strata of our society have their own issues, such as State Police, which I vehemently believe in, regionalism or the form of government we are going to take, when such emotive and controversial issues, how do we get 75 per cent or 3/4 because it is going to be very difficult if there is no consensus.
“In other words, such issues are dead on arrival if we have to by this rule.
“If we also have to go by this 75 per cent rule, it means we are going to have a tyrannical minority if 74 percent if the delegates vote on an issue and the 26 per cent voted against but can’t carry through because we have not the 75 per cent mark.
“The result is that the 26 per cent that voted against has actually won. So my suggestion is that we should toe the line of parliamentary standard across the world by adopting 2/3 majority.”
On the appointment of chairmen and vice chairmen of the proposed committees, Order 6 rule 6b, states: “The chairman shall, in consultation of with the deputy chairman and secretary, appoint the chairmen and deputy chairmen of the committees.”
But delegates kicked against this and after extensive deliberation, they agreed that members of each committee should appoint their chairman and vice chairman.
Meanwhile, women complained of marginalization at plenary, lamenting that rules and proceedings of Conference only address men only.
The 20 Standing Committees proposed are committee on Devolution of Power, committee on political restructuring and form of government, committee on National Conference, committee on Environment, Committee on Politics and Governance, Committee on Law, Judiciary, Human Right and Legal Reform.
Also, Committee on Social Welfare, Committee on Transport, Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Science and Technology and Development, Committee on Civil, Society, Labour and Sports, Committees on Public Service, Committee on Electoral Matters, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters.
Others are Committee on Land Tenure Matters and National Boundary, Committee on Trade and Investment, Committee on Energy, Committee on Religion, Committee on Public Finance and Revenue Generation and Committee on Immigration.
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